Catalyst
by DarhlingAndrea
Summary: Rarity was maybe the most "mature" of her friends. It only made sense that she, the drama-queen of the group, was to experience her mid-life crisis first. Rarity-centric story, eventual Rarity x BigMacintosh Rarimac ; implied Soarin x Rainbowdash


Catalyst - Prologue

There is power in a name and in the voice that calls it. It could bring down barriers with its sweetness, build them back up with its spite or shake the perspective of one's self if touched with enough sincerity. So yes, there is power in a name and the voice that calls it.

Rarity knows this. Her mother, for example, had three ways of calling her name. There were only three modes with Mrs. High Light: Neutral, Sweet and Angry. Her oldest memory of Angry Mama calling her name was when she had disassembled the dress her mother had bought her for her cuteceañera. To this day, she just felt ill to her stomach remembering her mother's scolding, angry voice.

"RAR-EE-TEEEH!"

It would forever echo in her mind.

But young Rarity just couldn't help it! The color was a lovely champagne gold and had just the most perfect lace detail but the shape! The length! The flow! The stitching! Absolutely horrendous. The fashionista in Rarity was just bubbling out of its pot and she just couldn't control it. She was a mere filly, yes, but she had enough sense to be scandalized with her parents's dressing sense and what they, subsequently, forced her to wear.

And it was her cuteceañera for goodness sake's! It was at this point she would put her foot down. She couldn't stand another dress paired with off-color shoes or a shoulder bag that just didn't match her boots. And certainly, on this day, she wouldn't be seen in a dress that made her look like a yellow lace marshmallow! So, she did the only thing a reasonable (and fashionable) filly would do – unstitch the dress, cut up a few of her mother's silk scarves and get to work. Definitely reasonable.

Her mother was still in a kerfuffle once the day of her cuteceañera rolled around and simply huffed and hmphed as she made her preparations for her daughter's party. Rarity's father, Mr. Quarter Buck, wisely chose to hide somewhere else - perhaps toss around the ol' football with some of his pals. He'd deal with the scolding later as an angry Mrs. High Light was a very nagging Mrs. High Light.

Rarity's mother, in her (cowardly) husband's absence, set to decorating the parlor and blowing the balloons but she had left baking the sweets to the young bakers Mr. And Mrs. Cake. Rarity insisted that the other fillies and colts would not appreciate her... "unique, avant-garde" style of cooking.

Mrs. High Light hmphed once more and went back to setting down a tray of cupcakes on an orange and purple polka dotted sheet that Rarity once called, "Abhorrent, mother!" She couldn't help but smirk a little in satisfaction at the minute amount of revenge but her smirk soon turned back down at the thought of Rarity's dress.

Manes, tails and makeup was her thing, not clothes or fabric or_ matching_. Clothes didn't make sense. Really though, Mrs. High Light, was, if anything, disappointed that Rarity didn't like it. She had taken hours trying to find the right dress for her filly. And at least she wasn't a downer like Mrs. Pie who lived on the outskirts of town! Goodness knows that that mare couldn't throw a party or choose a dress to save her life.

She heard little hoof steps and Mrs. High Light couldn't help the smile that was etched on her face when she saw her little pony peeking out from the doorway. The bitterness was gone. Her little filly, growing up so fast. The dress, she had to admit, looked far better – even to her eye. Rarity had taken away the huge poof of the dress by replacing the thick petticoat with something else (and Mrs. High Light was sure that she'd find an old garment of hers missing later tonight), the fit was more balanced and she added more details to the dress. A pretty yellow gem hung from her neck. To say the least, her daughter looked like a little angel.

Except her mane and tail. It was flat and terrible. Out of all the things that had suffered during their feud, it had to have been that Rarity's mane just hadn't been the same without her mother's usual assistance.

Wordlessly, she gathered her little Rarity into her "boudoir," as the filly so liked to call it, and sat her on the vanity chair. Using her magic, Mrs. High Light picked up her favorite curling tongs and a hair brush. Within seconds, Rarity's mane and tail looked perfect.

"Oh my," Mrs. High Light said, "you certainly look like a Rarity." She beamed at her daughter.

From the way her mother said her name, Rarity instantly knew that their silent war was over and all was forgiven. She, however, looked back to the mirror and pursed her lips. There was something missing. She wanted to look like one of those models in that magazine VOID that she read in her mother's salon but something was keeping her from it.

"I'm not fabulous yet!" she exclaimed.

Her mother looked at her daughter and tilted her head. Maybe...

"Remember, just for special occasions, eh?" Mrs. Highlight warned her daughter. She pulled open a drawer of the vanity and Rarity saw her take out a little package out and what looked to be a little tube of glue.

"Close your eyes, sweetie."

After a few hmms and haahs of frustration from her mother and an odd sensation on her lids, Mrs. High Light instructed her to open her eyes. Rarity did just that upon seeing her reflection, squealed with glee before clearing her throat and composing herself. Her eyes were now framed with thick, long lashes.

"Don't look half bad, eh? Like it?" asked Mrs. High Light with an adoring smile.

"Like it?" Rarity exclaimed, "Mother, I love it!" She continued to bat her eyes at the mirror. Mrs. High Light could only smile at her little Rarity and present-day Rarity could only smile at the memory. It felt like a lifetime since she had gotten her cutie mark and held that little celebration. It hadn't turned out so great though. One of the colts got sick from cake and did the only thing to make him feel better. It put an end to that terrible polka-dotted sheet though.

Using her magic to hold her curling tongs, she wondered when in the world she had been able to use one of these things without her mother's help.

As she finished curling her mane, Opal's mews from the hallways signified that it was breakfast time and she was running late. The cat loved her schedule and breakfast was not to be missed. Rarity let the cat wait on her for a few more moments, spraying her mane with hairspray and with a brief inspection, ensured that not a strand was out of place.

A pony has to look perfect for her birthday, does she not?

She passed another look at the mirror before deciding to put on a pair of earrings and mulling over if her maroon scarf would match those boots that she wanted to wear...

Another meow interrupted her line of thought.

"Coming Opal!" she cried out before looking at her mirror. The maroon scarf it is.

As she trotted downstairs she found Opal giving her a devilish glare as she sat in front of her empty, diamond encrusted bowl.

"Now, now darling," Rarity tsked, "no need to give me such a look. I've never let you miss a breakfast in your life, have I?"

Opal mewled.

"Hmph. That was one time and I had a backorder to fill! After all darling, it's my job that keeps your A-quality tuna in your belly."

Opal mewled once more but her glare lessened as Rarity filled her bowl.

Rarity sat down at the table and stared quietly at her cat. She knew what today was going to be like. She'd go to the store and work, go out for lunch with Fluttershy who would stutter terribly. Twilight would have strictly instructed her not to breathe a word of her "surprise" party. Once closing hours at the boutique were done she'd clean the store for an hour, look at her date book for any upcoming orders that needed to be filled and somepony would barge into her boutique with an "emergency fashion crisis" while instructing her that they would need her assistance straight away.

It was like clockwork every year since Twilight had first met them. That mare simply loved everything being on time and perfect and Rarity had no doubt that she was probably the most appreciated when it came to party planning. Rarity, after all, was rather structured in that she did practically every day; she worked.

Rainbow Dash raced and entertained the young pegasi, Fluttershy sometimes wandered off when a cute critter made way into her line of sight, Applejack was all over Ponyville selling apples, making deals and Pinkie... was Pinkie.

She huffed at the same thought that had been plaguing her for weeks. Her life was essentially the same since it had been since she had first gone to the Grand Galloping Gala years ago with starry-eyed dreams of marrying Prince Blueblood. She'd been on a few dates, here and there, but they were few and far between.

There was Chocolate Sun – wonderful stallion, really but a long distance relationship just wasn't suited for success. There was always something in her way, work to be done, Sweetie to take care of, and simply not wanting to commit to the stallion. It never felt right.

She had gone out with Doctor Stable a few times but their timing and busy schedules just didn't match. Then there was was Noteworthy, Thunderlane, Twilight Sky... She'd even had a brief stint with Fancypants. That had been an awkward point in both of theri lives. Alas, those meetings were not to be.

Rarity admitted she had time now. Her business had grown but she had taken on a part-time apprentice which steadied the flow of her customers. Sweetie Bell was older and, having gotten her cutie mark, was getting in a lot less trouble than her days as a Cutie Mark Crusader.

Every day was as dull as an unpolished gemstone and Rarity wanted her life to be fabulous!

Her friends had seemed to have caught on to this realization soon after the moping had started.

Rarity's sudden cry of, "But I don't want to be an old maid!" had somehow tipped them off.

Pinkie, in her typical Pinkie Pie fashion replied," Well of course not silly! That means you'd lose the game!"

This only helped fan the flame of uneasiness and dread that was licking at Rarity's heart. Her friends later had most _thoughtfully_ set her up on a blind date with Donut Joe. Wonderful lad but they just didn't mesh.

There. It was there again. That blasted dissatisfaction!

Ever since she was a filly Rarity had imagined what her special day would be like. Gallant prince, lace, gems and her looking like a princess. Those rose-colored thoughts had died down since her encounter with Blueblood. She liked the ideal but the ideal was never reality. She still loved weddings and the thought of little colts or fillies running around gave her a sense of both fear and excitement. At this point, however, she couldn't help but really wish for the companionship that married life, or the time leading up to it, could give her.

She didn't think it was really so bad to wish to have a stallion to nuzzle with at night or to surprise her with flowers. She liked to cook and it might be nice to do it for someone other than friends or family. Rarity wanted her name to be called in the sweet, special way that Mr. Cake whispered to Mrs. Cake when he thought there was no one around. Or the way that father would surprise mother with a kiss on the cheek when she was at the stove cooking... or rather, burning.

Rarity was looking, she really was, but no stallion stood out to her and she very well couldn't go through the lot picking and choosing who she liked. They were not objects after all.

She had no qualms about going after what she wanted – her boutique was testament to this – but in a place like Ponyville, everything was set in its own routine and things barely changed without a catalyst. The people who stayed, stayed and the people who were passing through were simply doing just that.

She shook herself from her reverie as she felt Opal rubbing herself against her leg. Looking at the clock, she realised it was two minutes past opening and rushed downstairs to open her boutique. The mare shook her head. She wouldn't think about this now. She'd think about it tomorrow.

* * *

AN: First MLP:FiM Fanfic! It's been so long since I actually wrote a fanfic – my last days were probably writing terrible anime crack fics in Jr. High.

BTW I never understood the MLP age system. I always thought the mane 6 were in their early twenties, the CMC being around 11-13. Timeline in this is gonna go maybe 5-6 years in the future-ish whatever time they have putting the mane 6 in the vicinity of late twenties, Big Mac in the early 30s range. CMCs are pretty much gonna be teens in this.

And yes, I do realize Rarity's mane/tail is perfect when she wakes up but... I don't buy it D: Ex: Twilight's hair is highlighted in Ponyville Confidential! Fluttershy has extensions!So for Rarity, I kind of imagine her mane to look like what it does in her "Artsy" look in Becoming Popular (Sweet and Elite) except less polished. Pretty much translating her high maintenance look into actually using effort. We all saw that she doesn't have eyelashes right?

Anyways, hope you like so far :)


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